


The King's Daughter's Chosen Protector

by dustyknighty



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Writing Prompt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2018-03-20
Packaged: 2019-02-23 07:57:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13185732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dustyknighty/pseuds/dustyknighty
Summary: Based off of a writing prompt.The King's daughter, Rize, has just passed. A random citizen is chosen to be executed to help "protect their soul on their journey".Kaneki Ken has been chosen.He has a week before the scheduled execution to decide what he wants to do.





	1. Sympathetic Eyes

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Writing Prompts](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/347370) by writing-prompt-s. 



> When a member of the royal family dies, a random citizen is executed to help “protect their soul on their journey”.  
> The King’s daughter just fell to her death and you have been selected.

“You must all be wondering why we’ve gathered you all here today, Citizens of the 20th Ward. It is with great sadness that we officially announce the passing of Princess Rize.”

 

Whispers. Muttering.

Everyone already knew why they were ordered to gather here; they’re all wearing black.

 

“In accordance with our traditions, one special citizen will be chosen to protect her Royal Highness’ soul on their journey to join her royal ancestors in Paradise.

 

The chosen individual will…”

 

I hold my breath as the announcer lists all the pros of being the chosen one.

As if anyone would want to be chosen to die.

A poke to my side makes me release it through gritted teeth.

 

“Hey Ken, have they announced it yet?” The sweat trickling down beside his smile is the first thing I notice

 

“Hide!? Where-, n-no, they hav-“

 

“Shh, they’re announcing it!” He places a finger to my lips as he turns his eyes to the stage, his smile quickly replaced by a straight face.

 

My eyes travel down to his side and I see his messenger bag, empty. He must have gone and delivered all the messages before he came. Smart, since the streets would be filled with people afterwards.

 

“Kaneki Ken.”

 

I look up.

That name sounds familiar.

I feel the corner of my lips go up slightly as I turn to look at Hide.

His eyes are wide; the sun makes the brown in his eyes really pop.

He made this same face when he accidently kicked me in the face when we were younger.

 

“Hide…?”

 

Hide’s one hand is holding my arm hard enough to leave marks, his other hand wipes a tear from my cheek and he matches the smile I’ve formed out of habit.

 

“I’ll save you. I’ll… Don’t cry Ken. I’ll do something about this. Okay? Promise me you won’t do anything stupid. Don’t give up. Ken? You have to show me you understand what I’m saying.”

 

I hear the clanking of metal armor. I can feel the stares. Fingers are pointing at me and my eyes feel like they’ve circled the world before focusing on Hide, and the way the sweat makes his hair stick to his face.

 

“Ken. Do you understand me?”

 

I feel my throat try to speak, but I choke on saliva and cough instead. I manage to nod and put my hand on his.

 

“Good, stay safe. You better be alive when I come, or I’ll kill you.”

 

Of course, he has the time to joke even in this situation.

The guards pry off Hide’s hold of me.

He runs off, faster than I’ve ever seen his legs take him.

 

“Kaneki Ken?”

 

“Y-,” My voice breaks, I clear my throat, “Yes?”

 

“Come with us.”

 

I have no room to refuse. I follow them as we walk through the crowd.

 

I watch the faces as I pass them by.

Sympathetic eyes.

 

_Fuck off._

 

 


	2. Smiles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of information this chapter. 
> 
> I'll be trying to use Tokyo Ghoul characters for all named characters in this work.
> 
> Names are read: (Family Name) (Given Name)
> 
> I'm trying to write this series without fussing over too much because that usually prevents me from actually publishing it. This means possible spelling, grammatical errors, and just...general errors. I'll try to edit after posting though.

The boots made soft sounds against the wooden flooring.

 

“Mr. Kaneki Ken?”

 

I nod.

 

“Let me know if there are any discrepancies the information I have here.

 Kaneki Ken.

18.

Lives by yourself.

Father and Mother passed away at a young age.

Currently a letter reader and writer at a local book shop.”

 

The woman reading the list raised her eyebrow, and I nodded to confirm the facts.

 

“It’s been quite an eventful morning for you, hasn’t it been?”

 

She tapped her chin before closing up her book.

She pulls up a chair and sat so that she was eye-level with me.

She smiles a little before she scooches her chair a little closer, and I scooch away by reflex.

 

She smiled, “Are you scared of me Ken?”

 

I look at her. She looks like those cute little stationary papers with pink flowers on them. I shake my head.

 

“Then are you scared of what’s to happen Ken?”

 

My eyes flick to meet hers. It’s not sympathy that she looks at me with. It’s strange. It’s almost like she-

 

Her hand covers mine, I feel my face warm and my eyes flick between the skin contact and the eye contact.

 

“Many people often are, to know that death awaits them. But to some, it gives them strength. You have been tasked with an important responsibility. I know you might think it unfair, but Ken, I hope that these last seven days of your life is where you find the strength to live out the remainder of your life in happiness.”

 

I break what was slowly becoming a staring contest and look at her short-cut nails, “U-Uhm…”

 

“Yes, Ken?”

 

“Sorry, I wasn’t really listening when the announcement was being…because…”

 

“Because people usually don’t think it’ll be themselves. I understand.”

 

“So…what am I supposed to during these seven days?”

 

She smiles and removes her hands from mine to sweep some pink strands behind her ear.

 

“Well, you are treated as a high-ranked individual! You are to live the remainder of your days in the palace. You will be fed and bathed in the likeness of royalty. You’ll also be put under some education of swordsmanship, martial arts, fine arts, and other fields they have deemed necessary for the Protector. During this time, you’re free to go anywhere within the 20th ward, however, you will be closely guarded at all times.

 

Attempts to avoid your responsibilities as Protector, such as escaping or suicide, will strip you of these luxuries, and you will be treated much harsher than any prisoner.”

 

I think my expression probably paled, because she quickly added, “Oh, but don’t worry. It’s almost impossible to escape or commit suicide here so rest assured that you should be able to live your seven days most pleasantly.”

 

“Deputy Ihei, Leader Ui is requesting your presence.”

 

“Oh, but I wanted to talk to Ken a little longer…” She pouted but stood up.

 

“It was nice speaking with you Ken. In a little bit, someone should come for you.”

 

The door closed.

 

The door opened again and her head peeked out, “I’ll tell them to give you a few minutes to properly digest everything, okay?”

 

“T-Thank you!”

 

She winked and the door closed again.

 

I took a deep breath, and let it out as I fell back onto the bed I was sitting on.

White linen, floral smelling, and so soft. The walls were all wood and polished. The rugs had no dirt, the tables had no wax, and the candle sticks all looked new.

This is the lifestyle of the rich, the powerful, and royalty.

 

I don’t really need time to digest the information. I understood it the moment Hide was promising to save me. I have no family to worry about, no loved ones to provide for, nothing to worry about leaving behind. I'm the ideal candidate.

 

_Wait, Hide, saving me?_

 

“No, Hide can’t…I’ll…!” I bound up from my bed, scrambling to touch the door knob before stopping myself.

 

_I can’t send him a message. They’ll read it. They’ll know Hide’s trying to save me. I can’t let them know we’re friends. How do I… I have to stop Hide._

 

The door opens, and a suited freckled woman comes in to see me on the floor, head in my hands.

 

“Uhm…Mr. Kaneki Ken? Are you alright?”

 

“Y-Yes. Sorry, I was just… I’m not used to, I mean, I was just thinking of stuff and I….”

 

“That’s alright. I understand that anyone would be overwhelmed. My name is Ruisawa, I’ll be the person in charge of looking after your personal affairs.” She smiled as I sat back on the chair.

 

“My personal affairs?”

 

“Correct. If there’s anything you want, or need, let me know and I will do my best to procure it for you. In addition, I will be managing your schedules, authorizing your outings, and managing your overall well-being.

 

Now, you’re scheduled for a meeting with the Royal Family in the evening. Before that, there are preparations to be made so that you are made suitable for their presence. Do you have any questions for me before I start asking you questions?”

 

Already, I can tell this lady is someone who probably worked her way up through hard work, dedication, and professionalism. She doesn’t like me. I can tell from the way she smiles. But, I’m her problem now. She’s going to take care of me as though I were her child.

 

“N-no, not right now. But will I have time later you ask you?”

 

“Most certainly.

Now, to start off, how would you like to be addressed?”

 

“Just Ken is fine…”

 

“Alright then Ken. Any allergies, or things that you know usually cause you discomfort, physical or otherwise?”

 

“N-not really…”

 

“Good! Well then, here is your schedule for the rest of the day.

You will be bathed and clothed.

I’ll show you to the room you’ll be staying in.

You will receive a quick lesson about proper etiquette to be used in conversation, dining, mannerisms, etc.

We’ll try to fit in a quick rehearsal and practice before we meet the Royal Family.

If there’s time, you’re free to spend it in your room.

 

Is that alright Ken?”

 

It sounds like a lot, but I nod my head. I think she appreciates my compliancy and her smile seems a bit more relaxed now.

 

“Good. Let’s head off to the bathing area then!”

 


	3. Fragrances

My fingers are a little pink when they decide to give up on cleaning the ink stains on my fingers.

 I felt a little proud when someone complimented on how well kept my fingers were despite the ink. As someone who writes letters daily, I’ve always thought it important to keep good care of my fingers so that it could never hinder my work.

 

They cleaned every part of me.

Almost every hole of me has been flushed.

Ruisawa, from the other side of the folding screen, told me it was to prevent diseases being brought into the palace.

 

While I was clean and naked, they also brought in a doctor to do some examinations on me.

 

I was embarrassed at first. They’d seen so many parts of me, parts that even I hadn’t seen before. But when you have more than ten people touching your naked body, and focusing just on their work, your embarrassment goes away.

 

I rubbed my foot against the other as I sat in the tub of hot water. It smelt like some sort of herb or oil I didn’t know the name of. My fingers burned a little when I went in, but they were fine now, and wrinkled.

 

_It’s so warm…I could probably fall asleep like this…_

I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, the ceiling was bright.

 

I breathed in through my nose, and slowly let it slither out of my mouth. I could hear parts of it echo off the tiled walls.

 

“Ken? The clothes are prepared for you. You could just come out naked if you’d like, or if you feel cold, you can use the robe.”

 

“Yes Ms. Ruisawa!”

 

I climbed out of the tub, careful to let my limbs drip a bit into the tub before stepping onto the tile. I could feel the heat radiate off my body, and watched the steam follow me as I walked. There was no towel left out for me so I put on the robe and shyly walked around the screen.

 

“Ken! I hope you enjoyed your bath?”

 

“I did, thank you Ms. Ruisawa.”

 

Six people started drying me.

One for hair. One for my torso. One for each limb.

They thankfully left my shortest limb alone and allowed me to wipe it myself.

Right after, they started applying a very light layer of oil on my skin to keep in the moisture.

 

Ruisawa was busy checking things off her list, but she made sure to smile at me a couple times as she talked to other individuals that would pop by once in a while.

 

They dressed me in a blue tunic with silver embroidery and black trousers, with some black slippers. Apparently, they matched the colors of the princess’s favorite dress. As they helped me put each layer on, I could feel the clothing make contact with the oil on my skin.

 

“Well dressed Ken. Off to your room then.”

 

As we walked down the hallways, the closer we got to the core of the palace, the more the crimson decorations stood out. Carpets, rugs, wall banners, all of them in the same color of dark crimson red.

 

As we turned a corner, something pink blinked by the corner of my vision.

 

“Ken?” Ruisawa looked at her watch before looking at me.

 

“Ken?!” Deputy Ihei looked at Ruisawa and then looked at me, “You’ve already made a new friend Ken? Impressive!”

 

Ruisawa did a slight bow with a greeting to the deputy, who smiled.

 

“Uhm, Deputy Ihe-“

 

“Hairu. Please call me Hairu, Ken.” She smiled.

 

“Uh…Ms. Hairu. Ms. Ruisawa is my…uhm…new caretaker?” I’ve been drowning in almost the same scents for a while now, it was nice to experience another fragrance.

 

“Oh…so…not friends then?”

 

I looked at Ruisawa, who smiled, “Uhm…?”

 

“Well, I hope you’ll be able to make some friends during your stay here Ken. And I hope you’ll be friends with me. I don’t get to be around many people my age you see. Please?” She clapped her hands together.

 

“O-of course, sure!”

 

“Yay! Then please drop the honorifics. It makes me sound old. Where are you off to now?”

 

It was then that I realized the people behind her who were so busy admiring the hallway were waiting for the conversation to be finished.

 

“The outer chambers in the East tower on the second floor Deputy. It will be where he will reside should you wish to visit him.”

 

“Splendid! We’ll do a little room warming party to welcome you then! Until later Ken!” She turned around, “Oh, sorry, did I make you wait long?”

 

“No, of course not Deputy!” Came the synchronized response.

 

She smiled and they marched away as Ms. Ruisawa and I watched.

 

“Can you please get me her autograph later Ken?”

 

“Sure…?”

 

…

 

…

 

…

 

 

My room is decorated with black, blue, white, and different shades of purple. I have a large canopy bed that looks so well-fluffed, it might explode.

The rug is soft and mossy, and standing on it is a small table accompanied by a chair, which are supporting packages of different sizes.

 

“Excuse me, Ms. Ruisawa, those are…?”

 

“Your belongings. We’ve cleared out your room for you and brought everything that you own here. If there is time later, you’re free to sort through them. We’ve already done some checks on your items, and have removed anything we’ve deemed…unfitting of the palace.”

 

_Everything?!_

 

“Is the room to your liking Ken?”

 

“Y-Yes. But uhm, if it’s not too much trouble, I’d like a larger table please. And…” I looked up at the magnificent chandelier above us, “More candles and candle shades please…”

 

She scribbled in her notebook, “Of course. Now, I’ll be leading you to the room where you will receive the majority of your lessons now. Don’t worry about memorizing the route, as you’ll always have a guard near you.”

 

…

 

…

 

…

 

 

I don’t think I’ve ever taken such small bites of food before.

Apparently, it’s to ensure that if Royalty talks to me, I can quickly swallow it and answer without having them to wait.

However, I’m thankful, because by the time I start getting full, it’s time to learn how to present and introduce myself before the Royal Family.

 

By the time they have me doing it blindfolded while whispering bad comments about me, the sun has gone down, and I have an hour before my presence will be requested in the great hall.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet the Royal Family. Can you guess who the members are?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one took a bit more time. I didn't know what I wanted to do with it.

I dig my fingernails into my palm to keep them from shaking as I walk. I’m thankful for the carpet they’ve rolled out with each step I take, knowing that if I walked on the stone tiles with these slippers, I would fall and embarrass myself horribly.

 

The left side of the room is supposed to have a wall of glass. With the sun setting, it would have been a magnificent view of the kingdom and the hills that surround us. However, black curtains block any chance of light from coming through,

 

There’s no one here but us.  

Each step I take needs to be carefully placed. I can’t walk too fast, or too slow, and I have a specific number of steps I need to take so that I can reach the right spot to stop.

By the time I’m close enough for them to see my features, I start hearing loud whispers from in front of me.

 

A chuckle, “He’s… the chosen one?”

 

A huff, “Yes. He’s supposed to be the one to protect our dear sweet Rize to…” The voice breaks and wavers.

 

“He will mother. He’ll be getting trained by our own tutors, and we’ll try to share with him as much as we know about your sister.”

 

A whistle, “How lucky. I do hope he enjoys his time here before we drown him.” Shuffling, “What, he’s going to find out sooner or later.”

 

“Oh…oh, dear. Look at the way he walks. Couldn’t we…couldn’t we just choose another? We’ll say he was ill, or he hung himself, or…”

 

I don’t need to look up to know she was staring right at me as I get closer.

When I reach the number I’m supposed to, I bow, lower a knee, then the other, and rest my hands on my thighs with my back bent.

 

Nothing happens for a while. I can hear myself breathing, and since my body is folded, it starts getting warm as the blood is slowly collecting in my face.

The cold sweat has made my palms clammy, and I can feel my shirt clinging to my back.

 

“Introduce yourself.”

 

I feel how dry my throat is.

I feel like I’m going to throw up.

In fact, I feel something come up, and I swallow it back down.

 

“M-My name is… it’s…”

 

I can hear how hard I’m breathing through my nose, and I can only hope I’m the only one that can.

 

“My name is Ka-“

 

There is a gasp before something wet hits my head and my eyes close by instinct.

I can tell by its distinct smell that it’s coffee.

A glass goblet hits a couple of my fingers before tumbling and rolling on the floor.

My fingernails dig into my thighs and I suck my lips in to withhold any sounds.

My eyes, my cheeks, and my ears burn.

 

“You, are my daughter’s **Protector**. You will **speak** with **confidence**. If you cannot even manage that, I will slice your tongue off so that you may never speak again, and choose another citizen to protect my daughter.”

 

I blink, worrying that if I wipe my eyes now, I’ll somehow offend and she’ll chop my arm off.

 

“MY NAME IS KANEKI KEN YOUR MAJESTY. I HAVE BEEN CHOSEN TO BE PRINCESS KAMISHIRO RIZE’Z PROTECTOR.” _Holy fuck I bit my tongue. I bit my tongue while I spoke. I might as well have just bitten it straight off for her, save her the trouble._

 

“Raise your head Kaneki Ken.”

 

I hesitate before following the instructions from a voice that didn’t need to be strained to boom.

With my head no longer bent, the heat that was building there was suddenly cooled.

I could feel that my cheeks were tear stained, that my cheeks and ears were red, and I sniffled.

 

The Queen, obviously disappointed by my distress, reaches for the King’s goblet.

The King, giving no expression, throws the goblet on the floor, smashing it, just as her fingers brushes the stem. She winces.

One of the princes sighs and crosses his legs, swirling his own goblet of wine.

 

The king gets up and walks over to me, I can hear the glass cracking under his footsteps. As his eyes travel my body, it feels like his gaze is tearing the skin away from my flesh.

I hold my breath when he stops and looks into my eyes.

His eyes are so dark. His face shows his age, and he smells like the incense they’ve been burning for the mourning.

As he moves away, it feels like he’s pulling the breath from my lungs. I gulp in air and choke in my attempt.

The king walks past me towards the door.

 

“Do not disappoint, Kaneki Ken.”

 

“Matasaka!” The queen tumbled out after the king like a run-away marble, leaving me with the three princes.

 

My knees hurt. My toes are buzzing. I don’t know where to look now, but my eyes land on the empty chairs. Princess Rize’s chair is still there.

 

The prince with the crossed legs uncrosses them and gets up, and walks past me to the door. The other two princes follow suit, but the one who seems eldest looks at me apologetically as he passes by.

_And I still have to eat dinner with them._


	5. Messenger Bird

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates will be between rare and none.

“You will not be having dinner with the Royal Family.”

 

“W-what?” My squeak bounced off the walls.

 

“The King and Queen are currently busy, and it seems like the princes feel it would be best if the dinner was had all together. So, it has been postponed. Which is fine, as I will make all the necessary arrangements. So, for the rest of tonight, you can spend it however you’d like!”

 

I looked at Ruisawa, was that supposed to be a good thing?

 

Ruisawa smiles at me, “Come. Let’s head back to your quarters and we can discuss what the day will look like tomorrow.”

 

She tells me of all the lessons I will have. That they will start off slow, so as to not kill me before the day I am to be drowned. I asked Ruisawa that out right actually, if I’ll be drowned like the Prince said. She told me it was up to the Royal Family to decide which method would be most appropriate, and that I didn’t need to worry. I don’t see how anyone wouldn’t worry about how they were going to die.

 

“If you need anything, tell the guards outside your door and they’ll fetch it for you. I’ll come get you once you’re all prepared in the morning. Good night Ken.”

 

“Good night Ms. Ruisawa.”

 

She smiles and leaves me to my own devices. The doors close and I hear the clanking of the guards moving to stand in front of my door. The first thing I do is take off the clothes they gave me, and wipe myself down with a wet cloth. The oil was really bothering me and I don’t think I could stand another minute of it. I realize that a set of sleeping clothes have been laid out for me, and I change into those.

 

“Alright, now, I have to-“ _Save Hide._ _He must still be looking for some way to save me. I know he’s smarter than to rush into here, but he might try to send me a message or something…_

 

I pace the room. _How do I make sure Hide stops trying to save me? How would Hide even try?_ It’s then it hits me. He’s going to die.

 

I keep pacing.

 

Hide’s going to die.

 

Fear washes over me but it doesn’t go away. It tugs at my chest and fills every nook and cranny of my body.

 

_What am I going to do?_

_Should I try to escape_? How? _Should I kill myself_? I look at my room. It’s not like it’d be very hard. But it would be very painful. I wince internally. I’d rather not have to put myself through that. Then am I going to just let them kill me?

 

I sit down and try to clear my head. Setting my priorities comes first. At least I know when I’m going to die, so that means that I have time. Hide comes first. Who knows what he’ll do and when he’ll do it? They won’t hesitate to kill him off. We don’t have anything as convenient as a secret spot for sharing messages, or anything as expensive as a messenger bird.

 

Messenger bird?

 

I still the fingers I didn’t realize I was thumping on the table. My hands reach for paper and a pen but I stop. I’m used to writing draft after draft until I have something I’m satisfied with. I’m also used to planning and laying out everything before I do anything. But I can’t do that here. I wouldn’t be able to throw them away without anyone noticing, and the smell of smoke and abundance of ashes would make anyone suspicious.

 

I’ve been told many times that I’m not exactly the smartest kid around, but I guess this time I’ll have to be planning everything in my head.

 

Which isn’t the best plan of action to take, since the longer it stews in there, the more I overthink it.


End file.
